Tall Tales from Kansas

power naps and a pease porridge hot competition

This morning Mary Ann gave me a complete run down on the beaches of Southern California between Santa Barbara and Carpinteria with a focus on Summerland.  Exhibits were included to reinforce my learning.  

I then began preparations on breakfast.  Baked eggs florentine to be specific.   Sister was quite unconvinced that they would suit her because of the spinach, but realized the error of her ways after the first bite. 

Here is the recipe in case you also have someone in your family who thinks they don't love spinach.    After breakfast we headed over to see Angie.   She was tickled pink to see Mary Ann.   "Is that Mary Ann?  Mary Ann Moss?!!!"

Afternoon activities included power naps and a cut-throat "pease porridge hot" competition.  

Mary Ann won.  But only because Angie let her. 

my first christmas present of the season

Brother headed back East this morning.  Channeling our father (who loved to get an early start) he was on the road by 6am.  

Angie misses him already.  Me too.  To distract myself I went downtown today to buy my first Christmas present of the season.  I have a party on Tuesday and intend to be prepared.  Luckily for me, strolling in downtown Lawrence I can usually find what I need.  Today was no exception. 

I am not saying exactly where I went but I am pretty sure my present will be highly desirable for those of you participating in the annual Quail gift exchage. 

Gobble Gobble Gobble

Happy Thanksgiving to family and friends far and near.   Brother Ray and I are heading out to spend the day with Angie.  Chris is holding down the fort at Tall Tales headquarters.  Today I am grateful for family and that Chris can manage a dinner for 20 with one hand tied behind his back. 

a banked barn

It's not everyday you get the chance to go inside an old barn and have a look around.  When Diane told me about the Holiday Open House at the Historic Taylor Barn in Lawrence I jumped at the chance.

 

This is what is referred to as a "banked barn".  Which means it is open to the outside on one or two sides and the basement area had stalls for horses.  It was used to store lots of hay (80 tons according to the literature). 

The original barn was built in 1879, burned down in 1903 and was rebuilt in 1905.  I am by no means any kind of expert on the condition of wood but it still looked darn sturdy to me.  

I liked the plate borders around the house on the property quite a lot.  I wanted to pull up a few and put out some cream so the farm cats would come and play with me.   

Even though I couldn't find any cats to play with, this nice doggie found Chris and they spent some time getting acquainted.  I think this pup deliberately locked the cats up somewhere so we would  have to use up all our stored kitty loving on him. 

Which of course we did.   Gladly. 

thanksgiving dessert has been crossed off the list

One of the best things about the pecan maple phyllo pie is that it holds up well.   My brother and I tested it tonight.  The last piece of the one that I made on November 12th tasted as good tonight as it did the day after I made it.  This means that it is the perfect Thanksgiving pie.  I made a new one yesterday and thanksgiving dessert has been crossed off the list. 

Here is what I have learned after making this 3 times in 3 weeks... in my oven it takes 54 minutes to bake, not 40.  I also put a round of parchment paper on the bottom of the spring form pan so I could more confidently slide if off that metal piece so it looks better on a serving plate.   I also sprinkled a bit of raw sugar on top of it before I put it in the oven for that "bakery shoppe" look.

the practical effects of frost on a pumpkin

 It got down to six degrees overnight.  That really put a kink in the ornamental cabbage's style. 

It added a few extra spots to the gourds and squash too.   The concrete squirrel couldn't care less.

It can get a bit messy trying to dispose of the larger ones when they look like this. 

I'm going to tell Chris to be sure and put on gloves when he does it. 

learning a new dance

It seems like just last month that Angie moved from her "cottage" to an apartment in her senior living community.  That was a tough move, letting go of a place where she had grown comfortable. 

This week we had to move into the "memory care" center.  I think the hardest thing about all this is watching Angie's world continue to shrink.  She says to me "what causes my mind to do this?" then she will look at me and say "so I guess I am crazy?"  Heartbreaking questions.  Some have answers, some do not.   She knows she is where she needs to be for now to be safe. 

I feel like a mother worrying about her kid going off to college.  Is she ok?  Is she getting to the dining room?  Is she making some friends?   I hope everyone is treating her ok. 

I am learning new things everyday.  Things that are unbelievably hard.  Things that you can't prepare yourself for.  As a good friend just told me when I asked about any wisdom he could pass along from his experiences "it's a tough dance to teach..."   We have our tap shoes on. 

Members of the Moss National guard are arriving from the East and the West in strategically staggered shifts.  Mary Ann has outlined the plan of attack well.   Boots are officially on the ground with the arrival of Dottie last night.   Chris is the official errand runner and chef to the troops.   

In retrospect, the last move went easier than expected.  I hope to be able to look back 6 months from now and say the same thing about this move.  I will let you know when the Moss's have their "shuffle ball change" routines down and are ready to debut their prime-time tap dance extravaganza. 

the Lewis and Clark era

This is a hard one.  If possible, it's even harder than this one because it signals the end of an era.  The Lewis and Clark era.   Oh, and what a 14 years it has been.   Lewis Mulvenon has gone to hook up with his brother Clark so they can resume chasing each other around corners and up and down stairs in the kitty afterlife... whatever that is.   

One thing I can tell you for sure is Lewis Mulvenon was unlike any cat in the whole world.  He and his brother came home in a white plastic laundry basket in my car in August of 1999 and he did not stop talking the whole way home.   That pattern continued for all of his 14 years.  He had lots to say.  All the time.   About anything and everything. 

For example, he did let me know in no uncertain terms that he disapproved of the rabbit that was going to be hanging up in the house.  Everytime I had it out working on it he came and sat on top of it.  Letting it know who was in charge. 

Lewis went missing a little over 3 weeks ago now.  I still have a hard time not checking the back door to see if he wants in.   As I pull into my neighborhood each night after work I can't help having this wildly illogical hope that he will have come home and I will pick him up and hold him and be able to tell him just one more time that I love him more than life itself. 

 
The good thing is I told him that every day of his life.   At least 4 times.   And I guess that will be enough. 

get thee to the kitchen

The jam jars are getting used again.   Because if they work for tapioca pudding, wouldn't butterscotch be even better?

Just for a little bit of something sweet after a long day, or when your house needs to be cleaned before the holiday you are hosting.  The soothing powers of butterscotch are not to be underestimated.   Enough of the menu planning, and the grocery list making, and the silver polishing... get thee to the kitchen and make some butterscotch pudding.   Stat.

the next time you are tempted to be logical

When my neice told me months ago that she wanted to come and visit Angie because she wanted her to meet her great grand-daughter,  I had some hesitation.  Angie doesn't get around like she used to.  She also has trouble remembering things and changes in routine can throw her off a bit.   Krissy persisted though.  She told me she knew it wasn't logical but she still wanted to do it. 

 
I am only sharing this story so the next time you are tempted to be logical you will reconsider.  I can't remember when I have seen mom so completely engrossed and happy.   Four generations together made for some good times and great photos.  It was something special.   Thank goodness for smart nieces. 

the best looking item in the restaurant

There was some good stuff to be had for breakfast Saturday morning at the Roost.

Krissy had the eggs benedict with tomato and avocado.  I had the ones with smoked salmon.  Both were delicious.    The best looking item in the restaurant however, was not on the menu.

We took a vote on it.  All the people in the restaurant agreed.  Katharine Ray came in first place... everyone wanted to eat her right up. 

En todo el mundo no hay nunca mas sabrosa

We have been on a breakfast making extravaganza this past week.  Ray kicked things off with his rendition of the Smitten Kitchen's Huevos Rancheros.   En todo el mundo no hay nunca mas sabroza!

Then I had to introduce them to the one and only baked pumpkin oatmeal.  If I were going to have breakfast as my last meal on earth, this would be my pick. 

When you are going to be walking around exploring you need fortification to start the day.

Last but not least on the breakfast round-up is the pumpkin streusal coffee cake.  

I got this recipe from Honestly Yum.   If you make it in a 9 inch pan (like I did) don't bake it for 50 minutes.  I would check it at 40 minutes.   As a bonus, the left-overs double as dessert.   With or without ice cream. 

her charms are many

Regularly scheduled programming will return in approximately 48 hours.   

Our house has been invaded by a smiley baby.

We have fallen under her spell. 

Her charms are many.

We are powerless to resist.  

it was a sweet moment

 Angie met Katharine Ray Watson today for the first time.

It was pretty much love at first site.  

They had a lot of things to talk about together.   Some of them were secret.

Which is exactly the way it should be between a great grandmother and her great grand daughter.   To say it was a sweet moment does not quite capture it, but you get the idea. 

book report

In the last several months I have listened to a couple of books worth mentioning.   There was a lot of buzz about "Wild" when it came out.  I had to wait a good long time to get it from the library. 

The storyline of hiking the Pacific Crest Trail was appealing to me.  I like a good hike.  I had even hoped at some point in my life to do portions of the Pacific Crest or Appalachian trails.  Though the thought of doing it alone is not appealing, and no way could I do a thru hike.  If you have ever done any hiking you will relate to some of the things (being lost, having sore feet) the author experienced.  Overall I thought this was a very enjoyable read. 

Someone recommended "Left Neglected" to me and since the author, Lisa Genoa also wrote "Still Alice", which I thought was an excellent book, I gave it a listen.    

I knew nothing of the condition, unilateral neglect, prior to this book.   The author does a great job of helping you to understand what it is like to have this condition.  She does it not by describing symptoms but by so accurately portraying the everyday life struggles of the main character that you are sure she must have experienced it herself.  While I did not think this was as good as "Still Alice" it was a good read. 

I now have a book on my tablet ready to go, plus 6 or 7 on my bedside table, but neither of those things stopped me from requesting "The Language of Flowers" from the library.   All my reading friends say it's a must read.   Anyone feel different? 

a thing of beauty

I have waxed poetic about this tree before.  I never get tired of looking at it from all the windows on the back of our house. 

It's a locust tree (even though I said it was a hackberry before, Chris alerted me to my mistake).  They are not very desirable trees because of those long seed pods that drop in the yard and the big sharp thorns all over it.   But when the sun hits it in mid to late November just as it goes down ... it is pure gold.  A thing of beauty. 

jam jar pudding

About 6 months ago I got a craving for tapioca pudding.  So I made it.  Now for some reason I feel the tapioca monkey on my back every few months.   It has somehow gotten filed into the taste section of my memory bank and rears it's head and demands to be made again at regular intervals. 

Peculiar though it may be, I find it tastes better when I store it in empty jam jars.  I don't know why this should be so.  But it is.  I have put it in pudding cups for Chris and done side by side taste tests.  The jam jar pudding is better. 

Maybe the flavor is concentrated by the cylindrical shape.  Or, perhaps the laws of osmosis cause the inherent goodness that seeped into the glass from the jam to diffuse into all future jar contents.  Whatever the reason, good is good.   If you try it, let me now if it works for you too.   

in case our pipes freeze this winter and the plumber can't get to us for 10 days

This morning I set out early to run errands.  Important errands for guests who are coming next week for a visit.   While checking items off my list I ran smack dab into the pajama display, and since I was there I had to look at them. 

Who doesn't need a nice pair of pink flannel pajamas with bicycles on them?  AND the bottoms have pockets and the waist is lined with this nice satin fabric.    You wouldn't have been able to resist them either. 

Target carries a couple of lines that are my favorites and I feel it is my duty to let you know that they have some really cute ones right now.  There was a set with owls on them as well as a pattern with monkeys.   I had my heart set on the bicycles though.   Luckily they had my size so I didn't have to have a melt-down in the aisle.   

I must have a freshly laundered pair of pajamas each night.  Which means 8 is the minimun number needed to get by in case I miss my regularly scheduled weekly laundry chores.    Come to think of it, it might be a good idea to get just one more pair in case our pipes freeze this winter and the plumber can't get to us for 10 days.  

red, just red

The reds have arrived in all their glory. 
Presenting the Japanese maple, the burning bush, and the red sunset maple.  

 

Related articles

compelled to present the yellows

before they get quite so "leggy" looking

Planting some ornamental cabbage was a GREAT idea.    It is so pretty next to the mums and I love how the light really plays up the colors at certain times of the day. 

I planted these around the 20th of October.  Next year I will get them a bit earlier before they get quite so leggy looking.   Cabbage defies the frost.  I am thinking it will get even deeper in color as it gets colder.   You will of course be shown photographic evidence if it happens.

P.S.  I just went and did some reading to see if these are perennials.  Silly me.  The directions for planting say to plant with the leaves flush to the soil surface and that the roots will grow along the long stem.  Hmmm I guess a bit of reading before planting would have solved the leggy problem.   Something to remember for next year. 

 

 

Related articles

mums, cabbage, sedum, asters, and more mums

Stunning. Amazing. Bold.

My friend Joan has outdone herself and stitched all six of the creation series tapestries.  They have been stretched and framed and hung in her living room.  I almost fell down when I saw them grouped together over her couch. 

They are stunning.  Amazing.  Bold.  All six of them together really makes a statement.  

I could not do them justice with the angle and light I was working with.    They are covered with museum glass which as you can see above.... you really can't see.  It lets the texture come through while protecting the tapestry.   It's hard to pick a favorite, but this one is the one I would pick if I could steal it off the wall.  Since it would create a gaping hole in the overall statement I won't take it.   Maybe I'll try my hand at stitching one up myself.   Joan's work makes me want to challenge myself to try more intricate projects.  

It's good to have friends like that.   

 

everywhere I look

Through my windshield with the Nikon Coolpix.  Friday, November 2nd 2013 between 5:30 and 6pm.   Now that we are into daylight savings time I am driving home in the almost dark. 

I can't help it.  This fall is so beautiful.  Everywhere I look I see pictures that need to be taken. 

he could start a fashion trend

The thumb was completed and all ends were worked in on the maine morning mitts over the weekend. 

They can be worn cuffed when you are inside but it's chilly and you have no control over the temperature. 

Or you can wear them rolled down for maximum coverage.

I don't know anyone who wouldn't want a pair of these for Christmas.  Well, my brother might not think he needs a pair.  I might make him one anyway.   He could start a fashion trend. 

 

 

Related articles

there's supposed to be an unknown in a story problem

experimental pecan pie baking

Curried cauliflower soup is what I will be having for lunch every day this coming  week.   I used this recipe that I made several times last year.  

I love the flavor of curry.  I also love the color of curry.  I do not like how it turns my stick blender yellow but it always comes out eventually. 

Because cauliflower soup is really healthy I decided to balance it out with some experimental pecan pie baking.  Dottie gave me the "At Home with the Range Cafe" cookbook last year.  Today was the perfect day to pull it out.   



It has a phyllo crust.  I have never worked with phyllo before.  I will definitely be doing it again.  This is a typically rich pecan pie with maple undertones.  Toasting the pecans adds an extra nice crunch and the phyllo crust is crisp and light.   I love the rustic look of a gallette.   It will be on the Thanksgiving menu here this year. 


I am off to do some more tasting now.  When you are doing experimental baking it is important to get the tasting right. 

Several of you asked for the recipe... here it is!  Enjoy

 

compelled to present the yellows

Back on October 7th I was wondering where in the heck the fall foliage was.   I needn't have worried.    The trees and shrubs were at their peak today in Lawrence at 4:10 pm.   Quite a show they are putting on.  Giving the Blue Ridge Parkway a run for it's money. 

I feel compelled to present the yellows on display today since I went on and on and on about the orange last week.

There will of course be a day devoted to red as well.  I am just waiting for the red sunset maple out front to catch up with the Euonymus alatus (burning bush) out back.

 

Related articles

our jaws were dropping at every turn

so we wouldn't stab each other

Last week I spied some amazing pumpkin and gourd carvings on display at a place in the Crestwood Shops in Kansas City.

There were many more inside the store but it was a bit on the hoity-toity side so I kept the lens cap on while I was inside.  The carving was done by a talented group of students at the Kansas City Art Institute.   I'm not sure how much longer they will hold up, so if you want to see them get there soon. 

While you are in the area, stop by Cafe Europa for a snack.

Request a seat by the window if it's available.  The people watching in the area is something else. 

Get the pumpkin tart if it's on the menu when you go.  The waiter was kind enough to split it for Joan and I so we wouldn't stab each other with our forks in our haste to see who would get the first and last bites.